Farmers can take pain relief by the horns

Farmers can now use Tri-Solfen for pain relief when disbudding calves.

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PAIN RELIEF solution Tri-Solfen has been registered for use for dehorning and disbudding cattle.

It was previously registered for use following mulesing and tail docking in lambs, and castration of lambs and calves.

However, the label extension allows dairy farmers to use it for pain relief when disbudding calves.

Previously, Tri-Solfen has been available for use for dehorning only under veterinary supervision.

Dairy farmers and beef cattle producers can now take charge of pain relief themselves and incorporate the use of Tri-Solfen into their animal husbandry procedures on farm.

Tri-Solfen, available in Australia from Bayer Animal Health, is a gel spray formulation containing a combination of local anaesthetics, adrenaline and an antiseptic.

It is applied as a one-off treatment to wound sites following disbudding and dehorning. Bayer says the formulation of Tri-Solfen offers quick and long lasting pain relief, reduces bleeding and facilitates wound healing, and is easy to apply.

Developed by Medical Ethics and first registered in 2012, Bayer said Tri-Solfen has since been used to successfully treat over 80 million animals undergoing routine surgeries in the Australian livestock industries.

“The widespread adoption of pain relief measures across all areas of livestock production has been remarkable,” Medical Ethics managing director Allan Giffard said. “Australian producers have shown a serious commitment to animal welfare and are very willing to minimise pain and enhance wound healing.”

Peter Windsor, Professor Emeritus at the University of Sydney, played a key role in the research that was conducted to achieve the label extension.

“The development and use of Tri-Solfen is crucial in advancing animal welfare in Australia and potentially globally,” he said.

“The recent broadening of the Tri-Solfen registration is an important step in diminishing concerns of consumers on the adverse welfare outcomes of pain inflicted during interventions performed routinely in livestock husbandry,” said Professor Windsor.

The registration for the use of Tri-Solfen following disbudding and dehorning has also been welcomed by peak industry body, Dairy Australia.

Dairy Australia’s Kathryn Davis described it as “great news for dairy calf welfare”.

“It is now easy for farmers and disbudding contractors to provide cheap and effective pain relief for calves after disbudding by heat cautery,” she said.